
She said that near the end of their ordeal, one of the passages of Scripture that sustained them was Psalm 100. Martin was killed, but Gracia lived to tell the story. During their year in captivity, they faced near starvation and were sometimes caught in the middle of gun battles. Several years ago Martin and Gracia Burnham were serving with New Tribes Mission when they were kidnapped by terrorists. Gladatude and gratitude are appropriate for every situation in life. What do we learn about gratitude from this passage? What is one thing you are grateful for today? DIG Check out our small groups page for more content that will help equip you to be an effective small group leader.Īdapted from Rick Hove, “The Ultimate Roadtrip: A Guide to Leading Small Groups” (Orlando: CruPress, 2010).Sign up to receive weekly tips about leading a small group.Check out “ The Ultimate Roadtrip: A Guide to Leading Small Groups” for an in-depth discussion of this topic and many other crucial topics for small group leaders.The article “ Four Key Components of a Small Group Meeting” will help you think through these elements. Now that your lesson is ready, read about using icebreakers (relationship-building activities) and prayer in your small group.
#Small group bible study how to
Check out the article “ Asking Good Questions” to learn how to use questions to help your group members encounter Jesus and experience real life-change. Ask Him to guide your group as you study the Bible and to show you all how to apply it to your lives. Pray as you prepare and ask God to change your group members’ lives. Taking the time to prepare the lesson for your small group is a worthwhile investment. Keep in mind that you want the group to discover and apply the truth themselves. Focus the lesson on the objectives you determined in step 3. Think of specific examples you can share from your own life. Select questions and activities that will help group members discover and apply the truths of the lesson. This will help you focus your questions and allocate your time around the key objectives of the study.Ĥ. Write down your answers at the start of the lesson. How do I want them to respond to Christ?. What do I want them to understand and believe?. In light of what this passage is saying, answer the following questions: “I think the big idea of this passage is _.” It’s possible to spend hours preparing for your group time, but the bottom line is it’s God who uses His Word and Spirit to work in and through you.Īfter you’ve spent some time studying the passage, summarize the big idea of your passage in a single sentence. Ask Him for wisdom and direction as you prepare. Spend time asking God to change you and the people in your group. You can prepare a brilliant lesson, but God is the one who changes lives. You can plant a seed and water it, but God must cause the growth. No matter how confident you feel in your ability to lead a group, continually ask God to guide you in your planning and implementation. Here are four steps that will help you prepare to lead the lesson. Go back through the lesson and think about how to help the group discover and apply its truths. Second: Prepare to Present the Lesson to Your Group If you’re personally applying the material, you’ll find it easier to provide personal illustrations.
Ask God to show you how He wants you to respond to Christ through what you are learning. Consider how the passage exposes your brokenness. Study the lesson and ask God to teach you from His Word. You can’t lead a good discussion and point a group toward life-changing application if you haven’t studied and applied it yourself. There are two important steps to preparing a lesson. Whether you are using pre-written studies or following the Small Group Lesson Template, it’s important to prepare in advance. Small groups are designed to help people grow spiritually, so interacting with God’s Word through a Bible study or lesson is essential.